Secret mailing ballot



Dec. 7 1926.

E. J. LONG SECRET MAILING BALLoT Filed Sep't. 15, 1924 M uALLor Ko :Nom: ADDRESS I @www Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.Y

EMIL J. LONG, OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA.

SECRET MAILING BALLOT.

Application filed September 13, 1924.

This invention relates to a ballot intended for the purpose of facilitating voting by enabling the voters to mark the ballot, sign it and then mail it to the registrar of voters, the ballot having a double seal to prevent any one from seeing how the ballot is marked.

This ballot may be used at ordinary elections or by lodges or societies for their own private elections.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby the person receiving the bal lot may examine and compare the signatures of the voters and may then tear off the identification without breaking the ballot seal.

Other objects of the invention will ap* pear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a front view of the ballot as it appears folded.

Figure 2 is a front view of the ballot as it appears folded but with one flap turned up to show the location of the inner sealing flap.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the ballot with the space for the voters name inside the identification tab where it may be desired to send the ballot to the voting place without using an additional envelope. The ticket is unfolded to show the printlng space for the nominees.

Figure 3 is also the same in outline as Figures 1 and 2, except that they are folded up and also that an additional gummed space may be provided.

The ballot consists of a rectangular sheet of aper folded up a number of times to pro uce the rectangle, a portion of which is shown at 1.

This ballot may have four or more sections as shown at A, B, C, D, Figure 3; the folds being arranged to bring the ballot of the proper size to be enclosed by a large flap 2 and to be closed at the end by a narrow end fiap 3.

The end flap is gummed `to be attached toy the folded up ballot 1, this gummed portion extending along the inside of the edge' of the flap as indicated at 4. The longer flap is Serial No. 737,575.

gummed along the edge as indicated at'5 so that when it is secured to the ballot 1 and to the small flap 3 that the small flap will be additionally sealed to the ballot. This larger fiap is perforated along the lines 6, 7 and 8 and a space is left for the voter-s signature at 9; the ballot may also have other identifications on it if desired, as the ballot number and the name of the voter to whom it is sent and may have such other directions thereon as seems necessary. The voter will mark the ballot and then sign the same` whereupon it is ready to be Sent to the office of the registrar of voters, at which place the ballot is torn along the lines 6, 7 and 8 to destroy its identification and it is then voted by the person in charge of the ballots.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, the ballot is folded up precisely the same as the ballot indicated in Figures 1 and 2 and it has the tab 10 the same as the small tab 3, but the tab 11 is provided with gummed places along two portions as indicated at 12 and 13, and it is also provided with perforated lines at 14 and 15. The outside of this ballot may be addressed Yto the registrar of voters by the voter himself in any way, but his own signature and identification, together with the number of the ballot may be placed on the inside of the flap bounded by the two lines V14 and 15, so that even though the ballot is examined it cannot be identified unless one in authority has first torn off the signature flap along the lines 14 and 15.

It will also be seen that space may be provided for the identification of the voter by a thumb print, if that seems desirable.

When the ballots are marked and sent in to the registrars office, some person will be assigned to detach the identification slip, which slip can then be filed to show who voted and the unidentified ballot can then be dropped into a large receptacle to be counted later when all of the ballots have been received.

What I claim is as follows, but modifications may be made in carrying out the invention shown in the drawings and in the above particularly described form thereof, within the purview of the invention as dened by the annexed claim.

A secret mailing ballot comprising a balthereon outlined by perforatons, said area lot having four sections or more, one of said having therein appropriately designated sections having a small gummed end flap spaces 'for the entry of the voters dentil0 adapted to seal the complete ballot and havcaton. y inn' u larger gummed flap adapted to cover In testmonywhereof I have hereunto set und seal Said folded and sealed ballot, the my hand. said larger gummed flap having an area EMIL J. LONG. 

